Gain more insights about the "The Spook Who Sat By The Door" after the film with a Conversation and Q & A with Doris Nomathandé Dixon, daughter of the director and producer, Ivan Dixon, and Natiki Hope Pressley, daughter of Sam Greenlee who wrote the book, screenplay and produced the film.
Restored by The Library of Congress and The Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
Who Sat by the Door embodies as much social-significance today as it did upon its initial release. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by Sam Greenlee, the filmmaker, Ivan Dixon, explored what he considered to be “a fantasy” as an African-American male in the United States. It is the deeply complex story of Dan Freeman, the fictional mild-mannered first black CIA agent, who uses his specialized paramilitary training to organize a black revolution. Due to its historical and cultural significance, the film was deservedly added to the National Film Registry in 2012.